Gross sales are calculated as the total sales before discounts or returns. The gross sales figure is generally only significant to companies in the consumer retail industry.

Contribution margin is a cost-accounting calculation that measures the profitability of a product or the revenue that is left after covering fixed costs.

How much can solar panels save you? On average, homeowners with a complete solar system save $41,000 to $62,000 on total avoided energy costs over 25 years.

Most investors would view an average annual rate of return of 10% or more as a good ROI for long-term investments in the stock market. However, keep in mind that this is an average.

The latest stories from our Planet or Plastic? series—a multiyear effort to raise awareness about the global plastic waste crisis.